128 Social Communication

Special Issue (2018), pp. 128-135

DOI: 10.2478/sc-2018-0033

FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE CRISIS

COMMUNICATION BASED ON
PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSION
RESEARCH.
dr hab. Dariusz Tworzydło1, Przemysław
Szuba2, Marek Zajic3
Abstract
The way of conducting communication during the image crisis is a special type of challenge for
the company. Lack of preparation of the company for proper communication management may be
crucial in averting and/or reducing the effects of crises. The paper presents the results of research
conducted among experts from the PR industry and representatives of the largest Polish enterprises
from the 500 List compiled by “Rzeczpospolita” daily newspaper. The vast majority of Polish enter-
prises show an open-minded approach to crisis communication. Companies from oppressive indus-
tries, where crises occur more often, are better prepared for crisis communication. The determinants
of effective communication in the situation of image threats are, according to the leaders of public
relations agencies, anti-crisis preparation, presence of procedures, openness and honesty in commu-
nication processes as well as quick response time.
Keywords: crisis communication, oppressive industries, anti-crisis immune system of enterprises,
public relations, market research

1 Dariusz Tworzydło- University of Warsaw, Poland - Head of the Department of Social Com-
munication and Public Relations, Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies at the Uni-
versity of Warsaw. President of the Board of the Institute of the Development of Information Society
and Exacto sp. z o.o. Author of over 230 scientific publications, monographs, scripts, articles, and
research reports. Former president of the board of the Polish Public Relations Association, and a
member of the Public Relations Ethics Council. Advisor and consultant, e-mail:dariusz@tworzydlo.pl
2 Przemysław Szuba- Exacto, a Ph.D. student at the University of Warsaw, Poland - a graduate
in sociology and journalism at The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, currently deputy head of
the research and strategic analysis department at Exacto sp. z o. o. Author of several dozen research
reports and over a dozen scientific articles. In his professional work, he focuses mainly on the analy-
sis of the condition of the public relations industry and research on the PR professionals environment
in Poland, e-mail:pszuba@exacto.pl
3 Marek Zajic- Exacto, Poland - a graduate in sociology at The John Paul II Catholic Univer-
sity of Lublin, currently head of the research and strategic analysis department at Exacto sp. z o.o.
Manager and coordinator of over 350 market and opinion research projects.Author of several dozen
research reports. In his professional work, he focuses mainly on aspects related to the management
of the external and internal image of the brand, e-mail: mzajic@exacto.pl
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Introduction
The situation of the image crisis is a test for the company. Many factors have an
influence on how the company manages the threat. “The crises require from the man-
agement boards of the organizations making quick decisions, taking a stand under time
pressure and uncertainty, because they are immediately perceived by the external sur-
roundings of the organization (including the media). Everyone is demanding informa-
tion and urging to take up actions. It is easy then to fall into a panic and make the first
decision without thinking about the long-term consequences. It is also easy to be overly
sensitive to the escalation of events happening around the organization, regarding the
multiplication of decisions and actions, many of which will soon have to be abandoned,
because they will be ineffective, and in most cases even harmful.” [Wojcik, 2005, p. 592-
593]. In this situation, the degree of preparation of the company (i.e. actions or negli-
gence that took place) often becomes visible long before the crisis begins. All issues
related to the appropriate reaction to the image threat focus on the method of how the
organization conducts its communication. There is no good formula that would solve
the crisis. There is also no ideal pattern of communication. Nevertheless, it is possible
to indicate good practices and a range of errors. However, each time it is necessary to
take into account the specificity of the organization, the social and public context, the
predispositions of people communicating with the environment or the crisis situation
itself [Kaczmarek-Śliwińska, 2015, p. 159]. Bearing in mind that each crisis has its own
specific circumstances, it is worth taking a closer look at the guidelines for conducting
effective communication during the crisis provided by experts in the public relations in-
dustry. The article aims to present the assessments of representatives of the public rela-
tions environment based on a set of research results and studies on the characteristics
and determinants of conducting effective communication in the course of image threat.
The authors seek to answer the question about a set of factors that allow effective com-
munication during a crisis.

The methodology of the research described in the article

The article employs the results of quantitative research on crisis management pub-
lic relations. The presented data was collected as part of two independent research proj-
ects, which were implemented using the CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview)
technique:
-- crisis management in the largest Polish enterprises (the research sample constituted
the 500 List published by “Rzeczpospolita” daily newspaper). 115 companies took part
in the research.
-- PR-crisis trends from the perspective of Polish PR agencies, where the respondents
were the leaders of the organization. 204 questionnaires were collected, assuming that
only one survey could be carried out in one agency.
The above-mentioned research projects cover a very wide set of research areas that
are related to crisis management. For the purposes of the article, a set of variables were
selected, the analysis of which allows concluding on the level of communicative compe-
tence of managers, the role of media in the course of crises and the assessment of the
media as a platform on which a large part of crisis situations take place. The research
was carried out in 2017 and 2018.

Crisis communication and the oppressiveness of the industry

Effective crisis communication can be analyzed on many levels and dimensions.
Crucial here is to take into account the communication skills of managers working in
particular industries of the Polish economic sectors. Interestingly, one of the key factors
differentiating the preparation of companies, and hence the competences of managers,
is the industry in which the company operates. It turns out that companies operating in
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oppressive industries have more developed communication skills than other entities.
Oppressiveness increases the vigilance of managers and people dealing with commu-
nication, divisions and departments responsible for public relations. Due to the above,
companies subjected to oppressive risk more often have procedures, anti-crisis staff,
are more involved in the process of communication training and have more developed
structures (spokespersons, managers). The oppressiveness of the industry in which the
company operates affects the improvement of the effectiveness of crisis communica-
tion activities, which also results from the fact that these companies are more likely than
others to undergo crisis situations.
Picture 1. The oppressiveness of the industry

Source: [Tworzydło, Szuba, 2019, pp. 117]

A company operating in the oppressive industry must be aware of the fact that it
is particularly vulnerable to external and internal problems. Therefore, it must take ac-
tions and make use of tools that will have a positive impact on image security. On the
basis of multidimensional research, it was possible to identify 12 industries with a diag-
nosed higher level of vulnerability to the occurrence of communicational crisis situations
[Tworzydło, Szuba, 2019, p. 117].Therefore, the food industry, the public sector and com-
panies conducting medical and pharmaceutical activities should pay special attention to
the development of communication skills of their employees and crisis teams.

A model of the anti-crisis corporate immune system of Polish enterprises

According to the leaders of public relations agencies in Poland, the construction of
the corporate immune system should be based primarily on the training aspect (62.3%),
crisis communication manual (61.8%) and previously conducted audit of existing proce-
dures (46.6%). Among the media relating aspects preparing the organization for crises,
almost 2/5 of the leaders of the public relations agencies surveyed indicate the need
to create an alert system warning about the symptoms of the crisis, e.g. through media
monitoring, and 28.4% of surveyed underline the importance of the press spokesman
present in the organizational structures. On the other hand, 27% of respondents men-
tioned an established method of maintaining relations with the media (holding state-
ment, statements, Q&A)possessing by the organization.
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Picture 2. Attributes that simplified preparation for crises

Source: [Tworzydło, Szuba, (in press)]

Once again, it can be seen that the training, according to the PR agencies, is the
component of the company’s image security. They are part of acquired competencies
and should be implemented in the form of, for example, crisis simulation or preparation
for speeches before journalists. This is the opinion of experts who deals with crises,
However, the practice shows that the aspect of training is not appreciated. Only slightly
more than half of the surveyed companies from the 500 List of “Rzeczpospolita” daily
newspaper (51%) indicate that they conduct communication training among their man-
agement staff. Companies rely much more on their immune system based on the cre-
ation of a crisis manual (83%). They also, more often invest in their own PR personnel,
relevant structures (63%) and anti-crisis staff (59%).
Picture 3. The quality of anti-crisis prevention of the largest Polish companies

Source: The author’s own study based on [Tworzydło, Łaszyn, Szuba, 2018]
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Analyzing the leaders’ opinions of the PR industry one can notice that the construc-
tion model of the above-described immune system of the largest Polish companies can
be created on the basis of this important crisis experience (unfortunately it is about the
negative effects of crises). Preparation for the crisis is related to the development of
skills and tools that were established based on the crisis that took place in the company
in the past. The preparation of the company for new challenges and crisis risks requires
adaptation of the above tools and skills that will allow better readiness for the unknown
[Baubion, 2013, p. 12].
It also corresponds with previously analyzed data regarding the phenomenon of
oppressiveness, where greater company’s contact with crises determines better prepa-
ration for their possible re-occurrence. Research on public relations crisis communica-
tion shows that only 7% of PR agency leaders indicate that their clients decide to coop-
erate with the agency as part of prevention (in the sense of the proverb that prevention
is better than cure).Most often, cooperation is undertaken during an image crisis (44%
implements ad hoc solutions) or under the influence of negative consequences of cri-
ses (32%).The dominance of the strategy of cooperation between the company and the
agencies in response to the crisis situation shows that the lack of communication skills
during the crisis is primarily caused by the neglect of the companies that are clients of
public relations agencies and the delayed reaction[Tworzydło, Szuba, (in press)].

Common features of image crises

Additional information on the validity of communication aspects is provided by PR
industry professionals regarding the subject of existing crises. Two out of three PR agen-
cy leaders (65.2%) believe that image crises have common features. In their opinion, the
common denominators are usually disregarding the situation, lack of reaction or delayed
reaction (33.1%). In the second place, they enumerate poor internal and/or external com-
munication (26.3%).While the first factor can only indirectly arise from media-related
competences, such as the lack of media monitoring, or the insufficiently developed net-
work of media relations in terms of quantity and quality, the second common denomina-
tor refers directly to communication competences [Tworzydło, Szuba, (in press)].
It is worth bearing in mind that the efficient ability to conduct communication activi-
ties - especially on the Internet - is crucial from the point of crisis prevention and control.
Over the last decade, the main change that occurred in the etiology of image crises is
related to the growing role of the Internet, especially social media. “In 2016, issues oc-
curring on the Internet were the main source of the crisis. In previous years, their impact
was much smaller, that is why the factor was not among the three mainly mentioned
sources from 2006 and 2009 “[Tworzydło, Łaszyn, Szuba, 2018, p. 66]. Therefore, internal
and external communication is one of the strategic areas of crisis management.

Effective communication, what exactly does it mean?

The key question is, therefore, what kind of specific crisis communication is effec-
tive? Representatives of the public relations community in their answer indicate three
characteristics: prepared, honest and quick. The relatively largest number of PR leaders
responded that the most critical determinant of the effectiveness of crisis communica-
tion is anti-crisis preparation and the presence of procedures (30%).This means that,
according to practitioners, it is better not to rely on improvised solutions and, if possible,
consider scenarios of potential situations that threaten the image of the company. The
most frequent answer lies in the area of structural and procedural preparation of the
company.
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Picture 4. What should effective crisis communication consist of?

Source: [Tworzydło, Szuba, (in press)]

The second most common response of public relations experts is particularly in-
teresting from the point of view of the features of the messages themselves. Every fifth
professional working in the industry mention sincerity, openness, and honesty as the
most important factor of crisis communication (22%). The results of the research are a
confirmation of what F.P.Seitel wrote, indicating that the key principle of effective crisis
communication is to conduct open and honest communication [F.P. Seitel, 1995, p. 452-
453]. This response is not only an indication of how to construct messages in a substan-
tive way but also has a strong axiological overtone. It refers to the PR profession as a
profession possessing social trust, which places “particularly high demands on people
performing it, including ethical requirements. It results from the fact that while working
in social communication sector and focusing on >> building trust... <, they are subjected
to constant observation and evaluation “[Stolarczyk, 2016, p. 75].
According to almost 17% of PR professionals in crisis communication, quick re-
sponse time counts. This is particularly important due to the aforementioned trend of
the growing importance of the Internet and social media in the spread of the crisis (the
media as a platform where crises take place).Appropriately quick response time allows
for leveling or at least counteracting the two most frequently cited consequences of a
crisis situation, i.e. negative media publications (62%) and negative criticism in social
media (38%) [Tworzydło, Łaszyn, Szuba, 2018, p. 66].
Among the other factors of effective communication mentioned by PR agency lead-
ers, the most important is the fact that possessing a PR team in the company’s struc-
tures has been mentioned by 12% of respondents, and the use of external support only
by 2%. It can be connected with the fact that low awareness of clients is one of the big-
gest concerns of the PR community regarding the functioning of the industry [Tworzydło,
Szuba, Zajic, 2017, p. 38-39]. This is another voice in the debate on raising the awareness
of the business community regarding the preparation and development of employees
within their own structures for cooperation with external professionals.
It is worth looking into the strategies of companies operating in Poland in the con-
text of communication effectiveness. Among the representatives of Polish companies
from the 500 List of “Rzeczpospolita” daily newspaper dominates the strategy stating
that it is better to rely on cooperation with the media than to apply the strategy of a
closed fortress. A seemingly eightfold advantage of the open-minded approach (82%)
on the closed-minded approach (10%) is a good result. However, if the approach to this
results in such a way that every tenth of the largest companies in Poland adopts a strat-
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egy of communication blockade in a crisis situation, there is still much to do in the field
of education. If the use of those undesirable communication strategies is noticeable at
the level of 10% among the best, and thus the most developed enterprises in the country,
it can be presumed that among less developed enterprises this approach is much more
frequent and dominant in some areas.

Models of communication during and after the crisis

So how to carry out effective crisis communication? The “Basic 5 Principles o Crisis
Communication”, the solution proposed by Adam Łaszyn, comes with help. According
to this approach, the first step is to “feel sorry”. This is very important in terms of quick
response. Expressing regret because of the event allows the company to show that it is
aware of the situation and does not “hide its head in the sand”, and in the same time is
interested in the event. Of course, it is important to skillfully express regret, especially if
it is not certain whether the fault really lies with the company. It allows, however, to take
immediate action, which is particularly recommended, because it often rejects accusa-
tions of being passive which appear at the time of the image crisis. The second step is to
“admit it”. It is the most difficult step as it requires taking responsibility if the enterprise
is at fault. Admitting the error is difficult for both people and companies, as it shows
that something was actually done in a wrong manner. However, it is generally perceived
positively because it is associated with apologies, which very often can significantly con-
tribute to the end of the crisis. The next step in the preferred model is “counteract”. Of
course, in addition to the involvement of measures and resources in the technical solu-
tion of the situation, the appropriate behavior of the company’s representatives is cru-
cial. It involves, for example, professional treatment of the client, if the matter was just
a single occurrence or constant informing the audience about the measures undertaken
to defuse the situation. The fourth step is to “improve”. In many cases, it boils down
to information about actions taken to ensure that a similar situation will not appear.
The last step is to “make up for losses”. In situations of crises related to the individual
customer, it is often a chance to convert the crisis in a positive event for the company.
Appropriate preparation of procedures regarding dissatisfaction of the client or a larger
group of customers or recipients(in a situation where the company can be blamed) and
final compensation of the affected people with an adequate gift can obviate the crisis
and even contribute to the creation of positive publicity [Łaszyn, 2011, p. 165-174].
An important issue regarding crisis management is also described in the frame-
work of the post-crisis echo theory. It is connected with the fact that the end of the crisis
does not take place when the media stop writing, because they still remember, especially
in the case of the Internet. After the first wave of media reports, another, weaker one may
come, even in a situation where positive press releases will appear about the company.
There will be a recall of all the bad things that happened in the company. The theory of
“post-crisis echo” assumes that in practice there is a high probability that each subse-
quent crisis will recall earlier company’s image problems. Therefore, the implementa-
tion of in-depth and continuous monitoring of the media, especially aimed at the area in
which the crisis took place, will be an important step in the anti-crisis management. In
this way, it will be possible to capture potential new post-crisis waves that may be the
source of new problems [Tworzydło, 2017, p. 208-209].

Summary
The largest Polish enterprises in the vast majority present an active approach to
crisis situations. Their immune system is based on manuals, organizational structures,
own PR experts, and an anti-crisis staff, which are elements highly recommended by
the surveyed PR specialists. A clear discrepancy between the guidelines of the public
relations community and the practices of the largest Polish companies appears in the
case of communication training. Almost two out of three experts say that communica-
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tion training should be the basis of the company’s immune system and this is the most
frequently suggested recommendation, while such training is conducted only in just over
half of the surveyed companies from the 500 List of “Rzeczpospolita” daily newspaper.
Companies operating in the oppressive industries are better prepared for communi-
cation management during crises, are more involved in the organization of communica-
tion training, and have anti-crisis structures and procedures. This means that actions un-
dertaken during situations of permanent image threat and greater experience because
of crises that have occurred before are the main factor influencing the anti-crisis organi-
zation of the company. This is connected with the fact that the majority of professionals
noticed the establishment of cooperation with entrepreneurs during or after a crisis.
The companies’ continuous cooperation with public relations agencies as part of crisis
prevention is rare.
The main feature of effective crisis communication is experts’ anti-crisis prepara-
tion and the presence of procedures, openness, and honesty of communication as well
as quick response time. Other features related to the communication itself mentioned
by PR professionals are clarity and consistency of the message and its quality. Some ex-
perts point out that, in the context of effective communication, it is important to have an
experienced public relations team. However, in the context of results from other studies,
this should be treated as a postulate of improving the quality of cooperation with public
relations agencies, rather than recommending companies to deal with situations of im-
age threat on their own.

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